Online Forums and Communities

At BEAM, we regularly utilise online forums and communities as a part of effective qualitative research. Within online communities, we carry out ethnographic qualitative research in order to gain insights, ideas and development, which our client brand can then utilise.

This can be especially effective in niche industries and areas where there are fewer relevant respondents locally.

Online forum and community research can also be very useful for the client brand when it comes to verifying the individual respondent’s relevance to the project. This can be done by asking respondents to send in photos or videos of products relevant to the client brand, for instance.

Like with other forms of qualitative research, online forums and communities combine elements of ethnographic research with group session work, all done online in order to gain deeper understanding and insights into forum and community views, attitudes, ideas and responses.

When Should Online Forums and Community Research Be Used?

• When developing, trialling or testing new ideas, concepts, products or services, but have a specific respondent criteria
• In order to allow greater levels of respondent verification
• To supplement information and data you’ve received from other research

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